CONFIRMED! Argentina team with Lionel Messi to play in Kerala in 2025

Argentina, led by Messi, will play in Kerala in 2025, while in World Cup qualifying, Argentina tops the CONMEBOL standings and Brazil draws Uruguay, leaving them fifth.

New Delhi: Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman announced on Wednesday that the Argentina football team, led by the iconic Lionel Messi, will visit the state next year for an international match. Speaking at a press conference, the minister confirmed that the event will be organized entirely under the state government’s supervision. He also assured that local merchants would provide full financial support for hosting this high-profile match, expressing confidence in Kerala’s capability to make the occasion a historic success.

Lautaro Martinez’s stunning volley secured a 1-0 victory for world champions Argentina against Peru, while Brazil were held to a 1-1 draw by Uruguay in South American World Cup qualifying on Tuesday.

Argentina remains atop the CONMEBOL standings, with their qualification for the 2026 World Cup seemingly a mere formality.

Lionel Scaloni’s side may not have delivered a vintage performance, but a moment of brilliance from Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez proved decisive at the ‘Bombonera’ stadium in Buenos Aires.

Lionel Scaloni’s side may not have delivered a vintage performance, but a moment of brilliance from Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez proved decisive at the ‘Bombonera’ stadium in Buenos Aires.

Argentina’s eighth win in 12 games has put them atop the table with 25 points, five points clear of Uruguay, who secured a valuable draw against Brazil.

In Salvador, five-time World Cup winners Brazil struggled for large portions of the match and fell behind after a superb finish from Uruguay’s Federico Valverde, the Real Madrid midfielder, in the 55th minute.

Seven minutes later, Brazil equalized when a headed clearance landed perfectly for Gerson, who hammered home a clinical volley to level the score.

Gabriel Martinelli came close to scoring a winner when he displayed a clever touch to shift feet before unleashing a volley, forcing a brilliant save from Sergio Rochet.

The draw leaves Brazil in fifth place with 18 points, just one behind fourth-placed Colombia, who were stunned by a 1-0 home defeat to Ecuador in Barranquilla.